


Life Itself

by Ap3rsonwithnobusiness



Category: DreamSMP, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Burns, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Outcasted, Road Trips, Slow Burn, Smoking, Song: Life Itself (Glass Animals), Summer, Unrequited Love, Unrequited Lust
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:47:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28441143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ap3rsonwithnobusiness/pseuds/Ap3rsonwithnobusiness
Summary: “a guy who was born a bit strange, and struggles to become part of society. Because of that, he spends more time alone in his own head, getting stranger, and it becomes an awful cycle of doom,” -Dave Bayley
Relationships: Karl Jacobs/Sapnap
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	Life Itself

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fic for a friend of mine, I wrote it based off the glass animals song life itself, and before you call it an off brand heatwaves no, I just like glass animals and wanted to write a fic based off my favourite song of theirs, I hope you enjoy this story I’ve put together  
> This is not rated Explicit for sexual themes, Karl has stated that makes him uncomfortable and I respect his boundaries
> 
> CW: drug usage and mentions

Life itself, Karlnap

The blood rushed to Karl’s head as he sat up, he rubbed his head and let out a sharp exhale looking out the window to see the sun brightly shining through the window, he looked at his hand focusing on his sweaty palms from the summer heat.

He pulled himself out of bed looking at himself in the mirror standing there in a baggy stained white t-shirt and boxers, he rubbed his eyes staring at his reflection a bit longer before stumbling over to his closet.

He pulled on a colour blocked button up along with some regular jeans, he yawned and stretched still tired from his restless night.

Karl usually didn’t remember his dreams, _usually_ , this time it was different, he vividly remembered this man he had met in his dream, the possibility of the man being a real person crossed Karl’s mind but he had shrugged it off as a strange fantasy, after all being a socially awkward adult who still lives his mom doesn’t seem like the type to get into a relationship.

Karl had been doing college work from home ever since he graduated, he still lived with his mom, there was no point in moving out anyways.

Karl messily made his way down the stairs and much to his surprise his mother was still asleep, usually she was awake at this time drinking a cup of coffee at the table, but she was nowhere insight.

Karl’s eyes locked on to his moms purse which laid on the ground near the table, he looked around before carefully walking over and crouching down, he reached in grabbing twenty dollars from her wallet, feeling the guilt rush through his body when he scanned the room and focused on the family photo across the room from him.

Karl made his way over and put the picture face down on the counter so he didn’t have to look at it.

He had planned on leaving town for the day, he just needed a day to get away, a day to not feel like an outcast to society.

He grabbed his backpack making his way outside and shielding his eyes from the blistering sun, he looked down at his phone checking the time. 

Exactly eight thirty, he pressed his lips together and furrowed his eyebrows staring at the missed texts he had received from his friend Quackity.

He didn’t bother to read them, he simply turned his phone off and put it in his pocket and unlocked his car.

What was he even expecting the leather seats of the car were hot enough that they could melt his skin, he ignored the burn of the leather against his skin and gripped the steering wheel.

He reached to turn on the radio only to be met with static, he busted the car radio last summer, he didn’t remember how, he had repressed that memory, his mind had a way of doing that, repressing anything bad.

Karl pulled out of his driveway.

He found himself driving for hours on end, he didn’t know where the hell he was going, he didn’t care, he just wanted to get far away from there.

Karl hated it there, the people there made him feel like an outcast, he didn’t fit in there. He had a trouble fitting into society.

Karl found himself aimlessly driving along the highway, _twelve forty-five_ , his phone was blown up with notifications from his mom asking where he went.

He had been driving without a break for twelve hours, he didn’t know why, he didn’t know why he didn’t just stop and turn around.

He pulled over at a lake. Checking his phone and answering the call from his mom.

“Hello?” Karl spoke softly, leaning against the steering wheel of his car.

“Karl? Sweetie where are you? You’ve been gone for twelve hours.” Karl’s mom sounded panicked, he hated that he had caused this much stress for her.

Karl looked around for any signs confirming where he was.

“I’m somewhere between Louisiana and Alabama.” Karl felt the guilt rush through his body, he had driven for twelve hours, without stopping, and without telling his mom.

“Okay... I won’t freak out, you’re a grown man after all, but please be careful okay? If you need anything please text me.” Her voice was nurturing and soothing to Karl, it was refreshing to hear another person after the twelve hours of static.

“I will mom, love you.” Karl smiled, feeling a bit of the guilt wash away as he hung up and let out a breath, he let out a breath before looking out his window and seeing a familiar guy sitting by the lake.

Karl studied what he could see if the mans face, his heart stopping realizing the man at the lake looked so similar to the man in his dreams.

Karl had thought about that dream, the one where this strange man he met told him about his dreams of travelling the world, how he wanted to go somewhere with Karl.

It was a stupid idea and no rational person would do it, but he unlocked his car door and got out making his way over to the strange man.

“Um excuse me?” Karl spoke weakly trying to gain the other mans attention.

The other man turned his attention towards Karl and removed his earbuds, his black hair hung in his face, which made it difficult for Karl to see his features.

“Can I help you?” The man had a southern accent, although that wasn’t a strange thing, after all Karl was near Texas and Alabama.

“Well I was just wondering why you were sitting out here all by yourself.” Karl sat down next the southern man he had encountered.

“Oh, well I mean I only just met you, so I don’t think I’m just going to be a complete open book to some seventeen year old with a most likely stolen car.” The southern man let out a sharp sigh.

Karl didn’t think he looked that young, he was after all twenty-two, but his short stature and only the moonlight illuminating his face would explain why he looked younger.

“Well that is my car and I’m actually twenty-two.” Karl nervously laughed, feeling the uncomfortable tension rise.

“Really? Huh, well I’m Sapnap, I’m nineteen, and you are...?” Well that was at least progress.

Karl was relieved that Sapnap had introduced himself first.

“Karl, it’s nice to meet you Sapnap.” Karl offered his hand for a hand shake.

Sapnap stared at Karl’s hand before meeting his eyes again and shaking his hand.

“The pleasure his all mine.”

Karl’s hand felt like it was melting, he knew he was deprived of human interaction besides his mom, but he never expected to be in a situation where a stranger he met at a lake could make his heart race like this.

“So what even brings you around to this area? Most people don’t even know about this place.” Sapnap leaned forwards with his arms resting on his knees.

“Well I’m from North Carolina, and I woke up this morning and I just got in my car and drove, I don’t know where I was trying to go, it was like I..”

“Blacked out?”

Karl’s eyes widened looking at Sapnap, he had practically taken the words out of his mouth.

“How did you-“

“Same thing happened to me, I don’t know why it just felt like I had to be here, like there was something waiting here for me.”

“I saw you in my dream last night.” Karl wanted to shoot himself after saying that, _why would he say that_ , especially to someone he just met.

“I thought it was just me.” Sapnap let out a breathy laugh.

“You too?”

“Yeah I saw you there, I don’t know exactly what happened, don’t remember too much from it, but I definitely know you.”

Karl felt the tension wash away, he was surprised that it was possible that Sapnap had the same dream as him, or they had actually met in this dream.

“Y’know Karl, I always wanted to travel across the states, maybe beyond the states I want to see the world.”

“How about a road trip? I mean I have a car and if you want we could travel the states.”

Karl wanted to slap himself, he just offered to drive a complete stranger around the states.

“If I was a normal person I would obviously say no, but in this case, maybe I will.” Sapnap smiled at Karl, a smile that seemed like it was challenging Karl to an adventure.

Karl went quiet, staring at Sapnaps moon illuminated face, his eyes had this adventurous look in them, his eyes were hypnotic, Karl could find himself staring at Sapnap for hours on end.

“Uh great! When do you want to leave?”

“Tomorrow? Or tonight, I have money with me so we can stop at a Walmart or something and get some food and other necessary items.”

Karl couldn’t believe he was actually doing this. Any reasonable person would think Karl was being stupid. Taking a stranger he met at a lake in Louisiana around the country.

Karl found himself laying in the sand staring at the moon with a stranger.

“The stars are always so pretty out here, since we’re away from the city you can see the stars more, the lights from the city tend to drown out their shine, I find that even happens in reality, living in a city you’re just like everyone else and it drowns out your shine.” Karl tended to just speak his mind, to just say whatever he was thinking. It was weird being this open to a man he had just met but it just felt so right, like a puzzle being finished.

“You’re not wrong.” Sapnap let out a sharp exhale.

Karl turned his head so he could look at Sapnap, his eyes locked onto every little detail of Sapnaps face.

“It feels like sometimes you don’t have an escape, one of my friends got me into smoking saying it would cure my issues, not really though I can’t stand it, it burns my lungs.”

“So you don’t do it anymore right?” Karl was intrigued, he wanted to know everything about Sapnap, it was like he needed to know.

“No I don’t, but I still have the pack, just in case you know.”

“Do you have it right now?”

“I do actually, I usually keep it on me, just a reminder of my friend who gave it to me.”

“Are you still friends with the person who gave it to you?” Karl couldn’t stop himself from asking questions, he was desperate to know more about Sapnap.

“Yeah I am actually, we’ve been friends since we were like twelve, he’s around two years older than me, back in high school he would tell me how to ask people out, I would have headphones on and he’d be there telling me how to ask out a girl, he lives in Florida, he had a pretty nice life going for himself, maybe on this road trip we can go visit him.”

Karl admired how passionately Sapnap talked about his friends or even just his interests or thoughts, he just always sounded so certain and happy to talk about these things.

“Oh and then one time he came down to Texas and that’s when he gave me weed, he told me I should try smoking it if I got stressed but I’ve never had the guts to try it, I mean I do stupid shit sure, but I have never smoked before that’s a new thing for me, I tried a normal cigarette once and like I told you it felt like my lungs were on fire.”

“If you want we can try together.” Karl didn’t know why he even said this, he’d never smoked before, he never even considered it, he already had a slight unhealthy addiction to monster energy the last thing he needs is to get addicted to smoking weed.

“You want to smoke weed with me?”


End file.
